Signaling mechanism.



F. O. SINGER.

SIGNALING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.22,1915.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

INVENTOR. ull/W61.) f Q m W 7 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK O. SINGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO OMEGA ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SIGNALING MECHANISM.

Application filed December 22,1915.

To all whom it may, concern Be it'known that I, FREDERICK O. SINGER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signaling mechanism particularly adapted for use in electrical calling or signaling systems for selecting signals and for controlling an electrical circuit in accordance with the selected signal.

In calling systems a calling device is employed which usually comprises code mechanism and circuit controlling mechanism together with means for selecting a certain code or signal member for cooperation with the circuit controlling mechanism. In prior devices the mechanism has been more or less complicated and expensive to manufacture and the main object of my invention is to produce signal selecting and circuit controlling mechanism which is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which is very eflicient.

The various features of my invention are embodied in the calling device shown on the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a front elevational view, Fig. 2 is a side elevational view with th housing in section on plane 22, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front elevational View of my improved signal or code wheel, and Fig. 4 is a sectional View on plane 4'4, Fig. 1 of the code selective mechanism.

The device shown comprises a housing 5 of any desired shape, that shown having the c lindrical body section 5 and the base sectlon 5 A shaft or spindle 6 extends through the frame in the axis of thecylindrical body section 5 and is journaled in the rear wall of the housing and in the intermediate frame 7 which is mounted on posts 8. The shaft extends forwardly a distance through the opening 9 in the front face of the housing and supports a dial 10 and a signal or code wheel 11, the dial substantially closing the housing opening 9. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the dial and wheel are secured by screws 12 to a hub 13, a spacing washer 14 being interposed between the dialand wheel. The hub is de- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Serial No. 68,163.

tachably secured to the shaft as by means of a set screw 15.

The construction of the signal wheel is clearly shown in Fig. 3. It comprises a hub section 16 and the radial arms or sector sections 17 each of which has teeth 18 formed thereon and spaced in accordance with a code signal. The hubsectio-n has the central opening 19 for receiving the shaft 6 and the holes 20 for the screws 12. The arms or signal sections 17 are longitudinally flexible and the wheel can be stamped integral from sheet spring material such as steel, brass or bronze. The wheel is thus constructed in order that the signal arms or sections 17 may be deflected out of the normal plane of the wheel to cooperate with circuit controlling mechanism when the wheel is turned.

The circuit controlling mechanism shown comprises terminal springs 21 and 22 mounted on an insulating base 23 which may be supported on the front wall of the housing 5 by a screw 24 to be outside of the normal plane of the signal wheel. The contact springs connect with circuit C to be controlled and the springs are normally electrically separated, the end 21 of the spring 21 extending upwardly to be in the path of the code teeth of the inwardly deflected section of the wheel so that when the wheel rotates the teeth of the deflected section will cooperate with the spring end to successively deflect the spring 21 into electrical engagement with the spring 22 to close the circuit C in accordance with the code represented by the teeth. In Fig. 3 I have shown a battery 6 for the circuit C and signaling bells s are connected in bridge of the circuit to respond to signals in accordance with the code of the deflected wheel sections as it cooperates with the contact springs. Provision is made to repeat the signal any number of times. This may be accomplished by controlling driving mechanism for the shaft 6. In Fig. 2 I have shown driving mechanism in the form of ordinary and well known clock movement m. A spiral driving spring 25 has its inner end secured to the hub 26 and its outer end is secured to the pin 27 extending from the supporting plate 7, the hub being secured on a shaft 28 journaled in the plate 7 and in the rear wall of the housing 5. The in,-

ner end of the hub carries a ratchet wheel 29 and this ratchet wheel is adjacent a gear 30 rotatably mounted on the shaft 28. Pivoted to the gear is a pawl 31 which is held against the ratchet wheel by a spring 32. The gear 30 meshes with a pinion 33 secured to the inner end of shaft 6 and a,

winding up the spring I provide a vertically reciprocatory bar 41 whose inner end has ratchet teeth 42 meshing with the gear 43 secured to the outer end of the shaft 28. The inner end of the bar bears with its side against the supporting plate 7 and is guided at its lower end by a bracket 44:. The upper end of the bar extends through and is guided by the top of the housing 5 and the bar terminates in a rounded head or knob 45 by means of which it may be readily depressed. The downward movement of the bar is limited by the engagement of the head with the housing and the upward movement of the bar is limited by the en- I gagement of abutment pin 46 with the housing top wall. The arrangement is such that when the bar is depressed its rack teeth will turn the pinion 43 and shaft 28, and the hub 26 and ratchet wheel 29 will turn with the shaft and spring 25 will be wound up. The. gear 30 being blocked during this turning of the ratchet Wheel will glide past the pawl 31. When the bar 41 is released the spring 25 will unwind and the teeth of ratchet wheel 29 will catch the pawl 31 and the gear 30 will rotate and will drive the shaft 6, and the escapement mechanism will control the speed of the shaft and the code wheel mounted thereon. The gearing may be such that the code wheel will be given a number of revolutions for each downward depression of the rack bar. The mechanism shown is intended to cause three revolutions of the code wheel for each complete depression of the rack bar. After such three complete revolutions the rack bar will again return to its upper position.

I provide simple and efficient means for selecting and deflecting the code wheel sections. A spring lever 47 extends radially and at its inner end in loosely journaled to rotate around the shaft 6. As shown, the hub 48 of the lever is confined to the shaft by a, collar 19. Extending inwardly from the end of the spring is a stud 50 which is adapted to pass through any of the holes 51 in the dial 10, these holes appearing opposite the respective code section 17 of the wheel. The force of the spring is inwardly, and when it is rotated to bring its stud 50 in front of one of the holes 51 it forces the stud through the hole and against the corresponding code section to deflect the section inwardly so that it may cooperate ..with the circuit controlling springs as shown in Fig.2. The spring lever will hold the code wheel section thus deflected during the entire rotation of the code wheel. A knob l; is provided to facilitate manipulation of the spring lever and to increase the flexibility of the lever it may be given the hump 71,.

The code wheel may be divided into any number of sections. The wheel shown has eleven sections provided with code teeth spaced in accordance with signals 2, 3, l, 5, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, and 21 respectively. The holes 51 in the dial are spaced to be in front of the corresponding code sections. To set the device for the soulding of a certain signal the spring lever 17 ispulled as indicated in Fig. 4 and is then rotated to the dial hole corresponding to the desired signal and is released, the stud 50 then passing through the hole and against the respective code section of the wheel and this code section is deflected inwardly. On the figures the signal 14 has been selected and the section m is deflected. After such selection and deflection pressure is applied to the head 45 to depress the rack bar 41 its entire distance to wind up the spring 25, and then, when the rack bar is released the spring will drive the movement m, and 'the code wheel and dial will rotate three times, the teeth on deflected section it cooperating during each revolution with the circuit controlling, springs so that the signal 11 is given three times by the signaling devices S. If further repetition of the signal is desired the rack bar is again depressed part way or entirely and the code wheel with be correspondingly rotated. If another signal is desired the spring lever 17 is withdrawn to allow the section to move back to its normal position and the lever is rotated and released to carry its stud 50 through the dial hole of the desired signal and the corresponding code wheel section will be deflected and its signal sounded after the rack bar has been depressed and released. It is evident that instead of rotating the code wheel a number of times to get repetition of the signal, several sets of signal teeth could be provided on each signaling section so that the signal would be repeated during only one revolutionof the code wheel. It is also evident that a number of selecting levers could be provided so that a number of signaling sections could be simultaneously deflected to be sounded during operation of the device. The selective and circuit controlling mechism which I have shown and described is very simple and very eflicient and the cost of manufacture of the calling device is reduced to a minimum.

I do not of course desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and described as changes and modifications are no doubt possible which would still come within the scope of the invention.

I claim the following:

1. In signaling mechanism, the combination of a signaling wheel of flexible material divided into signaling sections, a circuit contact displaced from the normal plane of said wheel, means for selectively deflecting sections out of the normal plane of said wheel to cooperate with said circuit contact to control the circuit when said wheel rotates, and means for rotating said wheel.

2. In signal controlling mechanism, the combination of a signal wheel sub-divided into flexible radial sections each having signaling teeth, a contact member situated adjacent said wheel but outside the normal plane thereof, means for selectively deflecting said wheel sections to cooperate with said sections, and circuit controlling mechanism adjacent said signaling member to cooperate with a deflected section.'

5. In signaling mechanism, the combination of a disk of flexible material sub-divided into a plurality of radial sections each having signal formulating projections, selective means adapted to be associated with any section to effect deflection thereof out of the normal plane of the disk, and circuit controlling mechanism-situated in the path of deflected sections to cooperate with signal projections thereon, and means for rotating the disk. Y

6. In signaling mechanism, the combination of asignal wheel having radial flexible sections, means for selectively deflecting said sections out of the normal plane of the wheel, and a contact arranged in the path of deflected sections to cooperate there with when the wheel rotates, and means for rotating the wheel. I

7. In signaling mechanism, the combination of a signal member sub-divided into flexible sections, a pressure member adapted to be selectively applied to the flexible sections to effect deflection thereof out of normal position, a contact member, and means for effecting relative movement be tween said signal member and contact member, said contact member being arranged to cooperate only with deflected sections during relative movement of the members.

8. In signaling mechanism, the combination of a signal wheel sub-divided into radial flexible sections, a pressure member adapted for selective application to the sections to effect deflection thereof out of normal position, means for rotating said wheel, and a contact member arranged in the path of deflected sections to cooperate therewith.

9. In signaling mechanism, the combination of a signal wheel sub-divided into flexible signaling sections, a spring member adapted for selective application to the signaling sections to effect deflection thereof, means for rotating said wheel, and contact mechanism arranged in the path of. deflected sections to cooperate therewith.

10. In signaling mechanism, the combination of a signal wheel in the form of a sheet metal disk sub-divided into radial sections and each section having signal projections thereon, a spring lever adapted to be selectively applied to said sections to exert pres sure thereon and to effect deflection thereof out of the normal plane of the wheel, means for rotating the wheel, and circuit 'controlling mechanism arranged in the path of deflected sections to cooperate with the signal projections thereon.

11. A code wheel for signaling systems having radial spring sections adapted to be deflected laterally, each section being provided with code abutments.

12. A code wheel for signaling systems formed integral from spring metal and divided into' radial sections each provided with code abutments, said sections being adapted to be laterally deflected.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribemy name this 16th day of December, A. D., 1915.

FREDERICK O. SINGER. 

